


Let's Fall in Love, Park Seonghwa!

by hannihoneybee



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, aka yajuns attempt at name dropping every idol in 3000 words, the ateez bachelor au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-27 01:27:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18294050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hannihoneybee/pseuds/hannihoneybee
Summary: This first time Seonghwa meets Yeosang, he is the fourth of the twenty eight men he’ll meet tonight.





	Let's Fall in Love, Park Seonghwa!

This first time Seonghwa meets Yeosang, he is the fourth of the twenty eight men he’ll meet tonight. He’s good-looking, but that’s unsurprising. He thinks all the men will be good-looking. After all, who in Korea doesn’t want to spend an hour every Thursday night watching beautiful people argue and look lovely together? He looks earnest at least, which is better than the man who came before him, whose expression seeing him for the first time was almost disappointment.

He tries not to let it get to him. He’d be disappointed too, he thinks, since he wasn’t the one who was supposed to be standing pretty at the top of these stairs anyways.

At the closing of the last season of The Bachelor, fan-favorite and ethereally beautiful Yoon Jeonghan was poised to take the title of the next Bachelor. He had been in the top three and had charmed Korea with his good-looks and mischievous, but sincere, personality. He was perfect, and Korea had cried with him when he had been eliminated, lovely and heartbroken when Park Junhee gave Lee Donghun the ring at the end of the season finale.

He was Korea’s new sweetheart and everyone had clamored to watch the new season of the Bachelor until it was announced he had started dating Choi Seungcheol, who had been eliminated in the first half of the season.

Bachelor Nation was in shambles. Fans were torn on supporting Jeonghan and vilifying him. Seonghwa thought it was unfair for them to be angry. Jeonghan had been kind to him during their season together, and had offered his hand after Seonghwa had tripped and fallen on his way to get a rose on his first night. Needless to say, the man who was meant to star in the best season of The Bachelor yet had dropped out and the producers were scrambling to find someone to fill in.

Now, on paper, Seonghwa was perfect. He was handsome (or so he’d been told, ranked in the top five visuals of his season) and had a perfectly sweet and touching relationship with Junhee. They held hands and (once) shared a brief, sweet kiss on the beach. They had been a bit awkward in the beginning, but through the writer’s creativity and the show’s stellar editing, Seonghwa was given a perfectly tragic backstory of being Junhee’s middle school crush who lost contact with him when high school came around.

In person, he was…less than that.

He felt unremarkable. Fans had appreciated him, but no one quite remembered much about him. He knew he had nothing against the season’s villain who threw an infamous tantrum before being gloriously kicked off (and paid a generous sum for playing bad) or Jeonghan who captured hearts with a single smile.

And yet, here he was: smiling at Kang Yeosang as he made his way towards him.

He was sweet, if a bit shy. He had a pleasant voice and tentatively offered him a rose while stumbling through a cheesy pick up line Seonghwa had to hold back from wincing from. In the background, he can hear Minhyuk whisper _“Damn this is bad”_ from behind camera six.  

A bit of a shared sentiment, but at least he’s handsome. Seonghwa tries to smile, but ends up making the face that makes him look like he’s torn between crying and laughing. He waits for Yeosang to make his way into the mansion before making eye contact with Minhyuk, who is silently cackling next to Hoseok.

Traitors.

* * *

The first group date is hilarious to watch. None of the PDs can quite believe what is happening in front of the cameras, but Seonghwa takes great joy in watching seven men fall over themselves and an obstacle course in order to prove themselves to him. It makes him feel a little bit like a vaguely benevolent higher being, which is what keeps him from laughing his ass off as Jongho picks San up to physically throw him away from the rope ladder.

Unexpectedly, Yeosang wins.

Well. It’s mostly dumb luck over actual skill. Before the competition had even started, the camera crew had placed a betting circle on who would win. Yunho, who at six feet was the tallest in the competition? Jongho who had walked up to Seonghwa, started belting out a Day6 song, and proceeded to snap an apple in half with his bare hands? Mingi, who was handsome and a bit competitive?

The seven men started at the starting line but six of them immediately devolved into tackling each other to the floor. He watched from his pedestal as Hongjoong and Wooyoung began wrestling a foot past the start line. He thought he could see San bite Jongho as the younger attempted to manhandle the competition away. The only one who escapes unscathed is Yeosang, who quickly and quietly makes his way past his competitors without any interference except for the shoe that flies by his head.

Seonghwa is relatively sure the others actually forgot about him.

As he watches Yunho attempt to forcefully pull Mingi down from the monkey bars (which really just results in pantsing Mingi in front of camera six and ten, showing off the legs that had Seonghwa quietly whispering _Please crush me with those thighs_ on night one), Yeosang stumbles out of the mud crawl space and next to Seonghwa.

He’s still infuriatingly pretty, all sparkly eyes and dirt covered clothes.

“Congratulations.”

Yeosang smiles brightly and reaches for a hug before Joshua screams, “NO!”

He falters awkwardly, his arms half raised and pathetically hanging a few inches away from Seonghwa’s body.

“Kang Yeosang, that shirt costs $550, you will not get a single speck of dirt on it or you’ll pay for it.”

He looks almost like a defeated puppy, and Seonghwa reaches out to pat his head. “It’s alright, Sangie, we can get a picture together.”

* * *

Minhyuk sighs from behind the camera. “Alright. Someone stop the other guys from killing each other and get Hongjoong a box to stand on.”

“Wait, we’re doing what?”

Minho finishes applying foundation onto Seonghwa’s face with a pout. “Build-a-bear. It’s cute, and tell me to my face Korea would not collectively uwu at the sight of Kang Yeosang clutching a stuffed bear.”

“U-“

“Yeah. Uwu. We’re the same age, you know what uwu is.”

He hates to admit the make-up artist is right. Yeosang would look adorable choosing a stuffed animal and whispering a wish into the little stuffed heart they put inside.

“Don’t look so down. It’ll be fun. Jisung brought me one when the PDs went to scope the location out.”

Minho’s eyes are twinkling as he continues talking about his boyfriend and the little squirrel stuffed animal he had given him so _even when we’re not together, you can hug me close._

Gross.

He would have thought the writers would want a solo date that’s more exciting and dynamic, like when Hongjoong wanted to take him sky diving. Although, after watching San, Jongho, and Wooyoung almost kill each other while trying to win an axe throwing competition, going to Build-a-Bear might be the smarter idea.

When Yeosang does finally show up outside the apartment he’s been sheltered in while the camera crew attempts to find and start drama between contestants, he’s excitedly carrying a skateboard and what looks like the bag San usually carries to hold his shiba inu plushie.

( _Shiber!_ Aka the reason Choi San has noona fans all over Korea)

Seonghwa isn’t quite sure what a cute date outfit for Build-a-Bear workshop is, but Mingi and Yunho had let out collective _wow’s_ when he had passed them by earlier.

“Are you ready to go?”

Seonghwa nods and smiles, offering Yeosang his hand. For a brief moment, he can see the hesitation in his eyes before slapping his hand against his.

_“Oh my God, did he just high five him? Oh my God. Ooooh my God someone zoom in on his face ooooh my God. This is amazing. Oh my God.”_

Seonghwa just pauses, accidentally looking into the camera with a face he just knows is going to become a meme. Yeosang stares down at his hand as if it has betrayed him. Minho is clutching Chan’s shoulders as the two of them try to hide their snickering.

“Um.” Yeosang is still staring down at his hand in betrayal. Seonghwa decides to just grab it and drag him out of the apartment before Minhyuk dies from dolphin laughing behind the camera.

“Don’t look back. They notice weakness and zoom in without discrimination.”

* * *

Seonghwa hands Yeosang the date rose in between walking around a park together (when Yeosang attempted to teach him how to skateboard and cheesily asked him to date) and finishing their Build-a-Bear (a cute penguin Seonghwa names Megan).

~~“That name, it feels very meta.”~~

~~“What?”~~

~~“What?”~~

Yeosang smiles and hands him a bouquet of yellow carnations in response. “You said these were your favorite so I asked the PD to get them from the gift shop. They should last a bit if you put them in water when we get back.”

There’s a soft awwwww from behind the camera that sounds suspiciously like Felix.

“Thank you, Yeosang. I had a lot of fun.” He grins and finds himself meaning it. He likes spending time with Yeosang, who is quiet but kind and makes him feel like he fits just being how he is. He feels peaceful and content with the younger man, in a way he hasn’t in a while.

* * *

“As some of you may have noticed, Yeosang got the date rose. So during tonight’s rose ceremony, he will not be standing beside the rest of you.”

Seokmin grins at all of the contestants. One of them, Sehun, snorts. He’s this season’s villain, devastatingly handsome with a deep voice and an intimidating resting face. Seonghwa is relatively sure he isn’t as mean as he appears on camera, but there’s money to be made in acting like the villain. Especially when you’re that tall and good looking.

As Seonghwa calls names, he’s faced with the final two. Sehun, who is going to be eliminated tonight in a grand gesture that will have audiences cheering and Sehun a contract as a PD in one of the station’s other programs, and…

Fuck.

Seonghwa peers over to where Minhyuk is standing with a clipboard next to Kihyun. The two of them seem to realize Seonghwa isn’t just pausing for drama but in actual confusion and panic. He can’t remember the last Rose recipient’s name. He tries going through the list he’s already said. Hongjoong. Yunho. Mingi. Wooyoung. San.

Has he said Yuta yet? He can’t quite remember, but he does remember the bright red and gold tie he had worn during their one on one time together. He remembers being distracted by it.

He picks up the last rose and confidently says the last name. “Yuta.”

Nailed it.

There’s a pause. He can hear Minhyuk trying to swallow his laughter as Seokmin awkwardly looks between the final two and men he’s already saved.

“Um.”  

Seonghwa looks back.

“I’m Yuta. That’s Sicheng.”

Seonghwa looks back at Sicheng, who looks offended. Then he looks down at his tie and pales.

“Oh. Alright. Super sorry about that. Can we…uh…reshoot?”

* * *

Seonghwa is talking with Yeosang, hand itching to take his and press a kiss to his lips when Wooyoung appears and asks if he could have a moment of his time. To say he’s surprised is an understatement. Wooyoung, while loud and extroverted, never quite made sense in the whole equation of the show. He was handsome (weren’t they all) and shared his interest in dancing. He had a great backstory of a break up with his longtime boyfriend and a need to start anew, but he had never seemed invested in the show. Never seemed very romantically invested in Seonghwa.

Yeosang looks a bit confused before nodding and letting Seonghwa walk off with Wooyoung. The younger boy blushes as he asks if they could do this off camera. Seonghwa sad eyes Chan until the cameraman nods and pulls away from them.

“What’s up?”

Wooyoung looks a bit nervous, which is a shift from the confidence he has been inhabiting from day one. He knows when this season premieres, audiences will love him and his earnest exuberance.

“I-” He looks down at his hands.  “I haven’t been completely honest with you during this process.”

Seonghwa can hear a voice in his head that sounds suspiciously like Kihyun go, _Say journey, not process. Process is too detached._

There isn’t really anything he can imagine Wooyoung confessing to him. He can guess it might be his ex, but the man hadn’t mentioned him since the initial interview. Honestly, he’s heard Minhyuk and Hyungwon gossiping about it and he’s been pushed by the writers to give Wooyoung his “sad, disappointed puppy eyes” and ask him about _how ready he is for this next step._

“Wha-“

“San and I kissed.”

“Oh.”

“I’m so sorry, Seonghwa.”

Wooyoung looks up at him with heartbroken, guilt-ridden eyes and Seonghwa feels like pulling him into a hug and protecting him from all the evils in the world. He imagines being hurt (he is, a little), imagines being betrayed. But Wooyoung is sweet and Seonghwa feels more older brother feelings towards him that potential husband feelings.

“Okay. Thank you for telling me, Youngie.” He takes the younger boy’s hand with a kind smile. “Is there anything else?”

“I think I’m in love with him.”

He sounds like he’s about to cry, clutching Seonghwa’s hand tightly as he forced the confession out of his mouth. Ah. Seonghwa thinks back to all the times he’s seen the two of them interact. The easy way they took to each other. The way San teases the other and proudly declares him his best friend. The content way Wooyoung leans back into the other man’s arms during their off camera time.

Ah.

“I can’t say anything for sure, but I don’t think your feelings are unrequited.”

Wooyoung startles and bites his lip. He brushes his hair back with his free hand. When he had done it before, at least three times an episode, it had been a flirty gesture, matched with a confident smirk and a wink. Now, the gesture looks sad. Frustrated.

“I don’t know. He likes you a lot and-“

He cuts off at the sound of San’s cute voice carrying from the distance. The two of them turn to see him sit by Yunho and chatter off about his stuffies or his shoes or some joke he had heard the day before.

_(What does an evil cow say?_

_Hm_

_?Moo-ha-ha-ha.)_

The two of them stare for a moment before facing each other again. “I don’t know.”

Seonghwa tries to give Wooyoung another smile and squeezes his hand twice. “It’ll be okay. Just talk to him. You should be honest about how you feel.”

“But. What about-“

“Don’t worry about me or the show.” He means it. He loves the producers and camera people and everyone he’s met, but he knows this show costs a lot. Time off work. Buying suits. Having to put yourself and your life on display to be judged and critiqued. Your personality and conversations manipulated for the best storyline.

“I can always just eliminate you two. We can fake bad dates. I can finally admit how weird it is that San brings Shiber everywhere.”

“It’s kind of cute.”

“You’re blinded by love, Wooyoung. It’s weird.”

The other man laughs, shaking his head.  “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Seonghwa swings their joined hands back and forth. “I’ll even fake cry about how heartbroken I am to lose our most attractive contestant.”

Wooyoung snorts. “Now you’re just being mean, hyung. We all know you like Yeosangie best.”

Seonghwa smiles, looking back on the younger man who is laughing at San’s attempts to mimic the actors from Sky Castle.

“Yeah, I guess I do.”

* * *

After Yeosang’s hometown date, the two of them are walk back to the hotel where everyone else is staying. Seonghwa gets his own room, but Yeosang lost rock paper scissors and has to share a room with two other contestants. 

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

He looks nervous, which is cute, and fiddles with his fingers until Seonghwa takes his hand. “I really liked it. Your family was nice. I liked being able to see who you are at home.”

Yeosang grins and starts talking about a time he and his brother tried running away from home to go see a Girls’ Generation concert. He’s talking about almost meeting Taeyeon in person when he unlocks the hotel door, swings it open and reveals-

“OH FUCK!”

Yuta and Sicheng.

Seonghwa sighs as he watches Sicheng shove Yuta off of him, sending the other man tumbling onto the floor with a shriek.

“I guess this makes the next rose ceremony pretty easy.”

* * *

Seonghwa holds both of Yeosang and Hongjoong’s hands as they stand in front of all the cameras. They’re back in Korea, in a beautiful filming location in Jeju. It’s been a long few weeks and he’s glad it’s almost over.

“The two of you have been amazing. Really. I wish I didn’t have to do this.”

Hongjoong looks up at him appropriately somber. On camera, he looks serious and anticipating, but Seonghwa had sat him down the night before to confess who he was choosing. The shorter man had laughed, kindhearted, and told him it was okay. Everyone knew who Seonghwa was going to choose anyways, and he wasn’t too heartbroken. He had teased Yeosang before the cameras started filming, letting the younger man know he could swoop in and steal Seonghwa’s heart if he hears Yeosang isn’t treating him well.

“Unfortunately, I can only choose one of you today.”

Yeosang looks up at him with sparkling eyes. Seonghwa feels himself crack a smile, giddiness bursting in his chest.

“Yeosang, will you marry me?”

“Yes. Yes.” Yeosang smiles and pulls him close into a kiss. 

Ah.

So this is love.

* * *

Seonghwa walks out of his last meeting with Hyunwoo when he sees the storyboard for next season. “Ah, so Yunho was chosen in the end?” 

Minhyuk nods from where he’s perched on Hoseok’s lap. “Yeah, the audience really liked him. I think it’s the face. He just has a face you want to kiss and take care of.”

There are a few faces he doesn’t recognize on the board. Probably potential contestants. They’re all very pretty and Seonghwa thinks he can see Kihyun’s scrawl labeling each person’s role. Villain. Sweetheart. Favorites to win. Potential plotlines. There are a few details about fights that could be filmed and storylines they haven’t used in a few seasons. 

Yeosang is waiting for him by the door and marvels at the storyboard.

“Did you all do one like this for me too?”

Minhyuk snorts. “Yeah, we didn’t think you’d win.”

Before either Seonghwa or Yeosang could respond, Seungkwan walks in waving his phone. “You won’t believe this. Yunho and Mingi are fucking dating!”

Kihyun drops the computer he’s holding. “Fucking again?”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you can't tell, I don't actually watch The Bachelor or any of its spin offs!
> 
> Please give me love and follow me on twitter @bloominghannie!


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